The new Bethlehem is resplendent beneath the mantle of stars

Christmas 2006 in Schoenstatt

En estrellas enviadas a Schoenstatt, la familia de Schoenstatt se hizo presente en el Santuario Original With the stars sent to Schoenstatt, the Schoenstatt Family from 34 countries  was present in the Original Shrine Mit den nach Schönstatt geschickten Sternen war die Schönstattfamilie aus 34 Ländern im Urheiligtum vertreten Fotos: POS Fischer © 2006
Misa de Nochebuena en la Iglesia de Peregrinos Christmas Mass in the Pilgrims’ Church Kinder-Christmette in der Pilgerkirche
Villancicos de Latinoamerica: Tomás Garzón, de San Isidro, Argentina Christmas Carols from Latin America: Tomás Garzón from San Isidro, Argentina Weihnachtslieder aus Lateinamerika: Tomás Garzón aus  San Isidro, Argentinien Fotos: Brück © 2006
Misa de Nochebuena en la Iglesia de Peregrinos Christmas Mass in the Pilgrims’ Church Kinder-Christmette in der Pilgerkirche
Oración en el pesebre en la Misa de medianoche en la Iglesia de la Adoración Prayer at the manger, in the Mass at midnight in the Adoration Church Gebet an der Krippe in der Christmette in der Anbetungskirche
Pesebre en la Iglesia de la Adoracion Manger in the Adoration Church Krippe der Anbetungskirche Fotos: POS Fischer © 2006 Album de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

SCHOENSTATT, MKF. Christmas 2006 in Schoenstatt: Beneath a mantle of stars sent from 34 countries of the world with thousands of names, the Schoenstatt Family is in the midst of all those are carried in our hearts and form part of a common apostolate and all were made present during the Midnight Mass in the Original Shrine. In the Original Shrine – the new Bethlehem of our time – we prayed that everyone would receive the graces and the blessings of the Child Jesus, who became man to make the world a Kingdom of the Father, A Kingdom of love, of solidarity, justice and freedom.

"On this Christmas Eve 2006 I want to present the names of my loved ones before the manger in the Original Shrine that I love…I want to remember all my relatives and friends, those who suffer and those who are alone", reads a star sent through the Internet a few hours before midnight on the 24th of December. There are stars with the names of sick people and people who died recently. There are names of loved ones who far away –physically or emotionally -, there are letters written very simply to the Child Jesus, there is a star sent by a nine year old child from the United States, there are "stars" written by cloistered religious from Spain, and a star that comes from the tomb of San Vincent Pallotti in Rome. "We want to go to Schoenstatt", Blanca and José Brahim, from Argentina asked of the Child Jesus. There are stars for Pope Benedict XVI, Fidel Castro, Angela Merkel, several bishops "and all the motorcyclist of the world". May the star of Juana Mejias, who was born December 19^th , shine brightly, so that she will always be healthy and happy with her parents", reads one of the hundreds of stars sent from Adolfo González Chávez in Argentina. The victims of the explosion in Nigeria, the child who was killed by his mother today, the children of the children’s home, who celebrated Christmas before a manger that was generously donated by a parish in Germany, are also represented by stars.

The Original Shrine shines with thousands of stars

On the afternoon of December 24^th all the "stars" that were sent were pasted on sheets of paper and were taken to the Shrine; there was also a star representing each country that sent stars: Argentina, Paraguay, Germany, Chile, Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, United States – were the countries with the most stars – followed by Russia, Japan Gabon, Italy, Burundi, South Africa, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nigeria – those with the fewest stars –India, Romania, Portugal, Costa Rica, Panama…the entire universe is represented here in the Original Shrine. An infinitely great joy irradiates from those present in Original Shrine on Christmas Eve :Photos printed with the stars are at the Masses and encounters, posters crown the front of the Shrine and wayside shrines…while in the Original Shrine, this small new Bethlehem, opens its walls wide to welcome thousands and thousands of people on this Christmas night.

Touched by faith and the joy of the children

A little after the invasion of stars in the Original Shrine, more than 900 people, among them many families with children "invaded" the Pilgrims Church to attend the Christmas Eve Mass for children. The children –dressed like stars, shepherds, sheep, Mary and Joseph –actively participated in the beloved and popular narration of Christmas, of God with us, of God made man, of God in the manger. Father Franz Widmaier invited the children to share their knowledge about this narration, which they did without being dull or lazy, and they did it without missing any detail, beginning with the angels, the field, the donkey and the ox, the seeking of shelter, the Three Kings following the star, the camels and the sheep…and in the midst of such an infantile faith and innocent joy, the older ones were also touched by the mystery of Christmas. "It was the best Christmas of my life", an older man commented emotionally. Accompanied by carolers in Spanish – contributed by Tomás Garzon, from San Isidro, Argentina, an organ and highlighted by sparklers, old and young celebrated Christmas.

A multitudinous pilgrimage to the manger

The Midnight Mass began a little before midnight in the Adoration Church, with the presentation of the stars before the tomb of Father Kentenich – present in the manger. As in every year, one of the most touching moments was the prayer before the manger. The celebrants knelt and prayed to the Child Jesus while the main celebrant, Monsignor Hermann Zimmerer (General Director of the Sisters of Mary) entrusted all the Schoenstatt Family of the world, the church, the countries and the countries at war, the people who are suffering from floods, earthquakes, wars, corruption, injustice, hunger…, all the relatives and friends of those present, and the entire world to the Child God. Among those present were members of the large Schoenstatt Family from Mexico, India, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, the United States…representing all who through the stars and prayers wanted to unite themselves to Schoenstatt. In his homily, Monsignor Zimmerer stressed the revolutionary and the newness of the birth of Jesus as a child, and the attractiveness of this event of Christmas. God did not want to scare us, he did not want to come with power and brilliance; rather, he came as a child so as not to awaken fear in us before him, but rather he wanted to awaken our love for him.

After Mass, a band of wind instruments played Christmas songs in the atrium of church in the midst of the cold and fog of the winter night. At the same time there were joyful exchanges of Christmas greetings in all the languages of the countries that were present, it was a small Bethlehem.

In the midst of the peace that reigns in Schoenstatt on December 25^th – where the majority of the houses to not have pilgrims during Christmas time – on December 26^th ("the second day of Christmas" and a holiday in Germany) the "Ten minutes at the manger" began, it is a multitudinous pilgrimage of children and adults at the manger…

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA